Monday 7th April 2014.So it's all been very quiet on the "Blog" front, due to a fairly hectic schedule for the Totally Lit! team.

We started this term with the aim of filming seven short stories for our students' showreels, by Saturday 5th April. On Monday 7th April, we completed our filming, for the first round of scenes, only 2 days behind schedule- which, with a week to go, did not look possible.

Due to a couple of location failures, we thought that we were going to run on into the Easter Holidays, but we managed to 'jig' our schedule and bring in more professional crew members, to push us over the line.

Working with a professional crew, it is fairly easy to predict how the day will go. Working with first time students and those who have had no previous camera, or film set experience, becomes, in essence, a test of how the teaching is going. I am delighted to report that we have had tremendous success and the students have really stepped up to the mark.

We made it quite clear that we would attempt to simulate, wherever possible, the real life experience for our students. This also extended to attempting to simulate the nerves one feels, on your first day on set. It was important that we made the students feel nervous. They were made aware from the beginning of the session that we would heap some pressure upon them, as we wanted them to experience that pressure and find a way of coping with it, still being able to deliver a great performance, whilst finding a coping mechanism. That coping mechanism is simply, breathe, focus, don't rush and trust your preparation.

We have been telling our students that the important work takes place, prior to turning up on set. Knowing your performance, or turning up with your performance, already planned, knowing what you are doing and being able to repeat it, multiple times, exactly the same, is their starting point for the shoot day. They also have to be flexible enough to be directed and re-directed, within the scenes.

There were no disappointments for us. Each and every one of our students has come up with an excellent performance, that, on first viewing of the rushes, look to be work that they can be really pleased with/proud of.

Next term we welcome a new class of students to Totally Lit!

It will be a very important time for us, but also extremely exciting, as we continue with the next round of filmed scenes, whereby our students get to work alongside recognised film and tv actors. In addition to this, our new students will be embarking on their first term. They are a really talented bunch of actors and already have the making of a strong company.

Since opening our doors to this special program of work in late September, we have already expanded our operation in London and Leeds (the Leeds School begin their filming project In April/May, having just completed a very successful first term). Our primary aim was to 'deliver' what we have promised to deliver. That is why so many actors and industry professionals are supporting us, because they believe in the program.

Despite a few location disappointments almost setting us back, we are on course. We are barely 7 months old and yet we have already been taken on an amazing journey, by some wonderfully talented young people. The future looks very bright!!!!